# Are Hummers (and Hummer drivers) evil or stupid? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 19, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876 "2005-10-19T06:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/101 "2005-10-20T22:52:43Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Stop bitching about SUV’s being dangerous to you. THEY’RE NOT DANGEROUS to you. The asshole DRIVER is dangerous to you, and only if he hits you. I have an Expedition that I don’t use a whole lot. I’ll tell you, I’ll NEVER be at fault in an accident – I know how to drive, and when I’m in that beast, I’m really, really calm. If you hit me in your little econobox and it’s your fault, then who the fuck are you to complain about my SUV? I’m a BIGGER danger to you driving my little Continental because I tend to drive it faster and I lose patience with bad drivers easier. Still, I’ll never be at fault. I think the two “I’ll never be at faults” in this paragraph speak **volumes** about the mentality at work behind most SUV driver’s. It’s truly chilling. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/102 "2005-10-20T23:04:35Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Stop bitching about SUV’s being dangerous to you. THEY’RE NOT DANGEROUS to you. The asshole DRIVER is dangerous to you, and only if he hits you. The difference is that if this asshole driver decides to blow a red light and plow into the side of my car when I’m moving through an intersection, it’s the difference between my life or death whether he’s driving an SUV or whether he’s driving a sensible sedan - the SUV will impact my car around head-level, with only the window glass to protect me, and the sedan will impact my car on the door frame, where it’s reinforced to protect me _because that’s how vehicles are designed, required by law_ - with mutual safety in mind (that is, until suddenly every other car on the road was an SUV). ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/103 "2005-10-20T23:36:27Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Hummer drivers _are_ stupid. It’s _BMW_ drivers who are evil. HEY! Don’t talk about my mommy and daddy that way! I’d say buying matching luxury cars makes you puke-worthy, not evil. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/104 "2005-10-21T00:09:05Z")
Ever notice how so many people say we should respect people’s right to drive a hummer cuz of the free market and all that? Well besides the fact that we don’t have a free market by any stretch of the imagination. (I am for free-markets by the way, I’d like to be able to purchase my pot legally) Be that as it may, saying that a Hummer and everyone who buys one is stupid, is not the same thing as wishing the government would regulate it away from them. However, I’d like to point out also, that their conspicuous consumption DOES in fact affect me. Aside from their roadside manner, they consume gasoline at a rate of about 7 mpg reducing supply while increasing demand so gas prices go up for me. We are fighting wars in Hummers so that we can continue to FUEL hummers. If Hummers didn’t exist at all then we wouldn’t be consuming nearly as much oil as we are. **Furt** Any friend that doesn’t know that a Jeep or a 4 Runner are SUVs, is in fact, neither intelligent nor educated. Erek ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/105 "2005-10-21T00:15:21Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > I think the two “I’ll never be at faults” in this paragraph speak **volumes** about the mentality at work behind most SUV driver’s. It’s truly chilling. Explain that, then. Sure, there’s the off chance that I’ll make a stupid mistake and “slip up” so you can’t _literally_ interpret tongue-in-cheek – that speaks lots about one’s reading comprehension. Yeah, even when I say it twice, and say it again down below a third time. But in general, I’m a safe, conscientious driver unlike so many assholes in the world, so when I say I won’t be at fault ever, then I mean I won’t be at fault _ever_ (with the previous stupid-idiot-I-only-interpret-things-literally-disclaimer in force). Jeesh. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/106 "2005-10-21T00:19:28Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > The difference is that if this asshole driver decides to blow a red light and plow into the side of my car when I’m moving through an intersection, it’s the difference between my life or death whether he’s driving an SUV or whether he’s driving a sensible sedan - the SUV will impact my car around head-level, with only the window glass to protect me, and the sedan will impact my car on the door frame, where it’s reinforced to protect me _because that’s how vehicles are designed, required by law_ - with mutual safety in mind (that is, until suddenly every other car on the road was an SUV). I see your point. But it’s the same thing as gun control. You can’t take away my gun/SUV because if some other jackass; you deal with the other jackass. FWIW, I promise never to snowplow you unless YOU run the red light, and I promise never to shoot you unless you’re presenting a substantial enough threat. There are wackos out there that aren’t so nice, though, and I think we really need to deal with them. ---
**Author:** ![LadySybil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c89c15/32.png) [@LadySybil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LadySybil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/107 "2005-10-21T00:23:43Z")
The new Mini Coopers are BMWs. Does that mean it’s stupid that I want one? Also, not only are Hummer drivers stupid, they haven’t the slightest idea that all the four parking spaces they took up with their huge-ass vehicle MIGHT ACTUALLY BE WANTED BY SOMEONE ELSE. I want to find a pad of those fake “because you’re an asshole” parking tickets and take it with me when I’m in the parking lot at work. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/108 "2005-10-21T05:25:08Z")
> [@LadySybil](#): > > The new Mini Coopers are BMWs. Does that mean it’s stupid that I want one? I wouldn’t say it’s stupid. But the car seems to go against the spirit of the original. The original was supposed to be cheap and economical to operate. A New Mini Cooper gets an estimated 32 mpg on the freeway. I don’t know what an original Mini would get, but I know that the 948cc Triumph Heralds could get close to 40 mpg. Still, 32 isn’t that bad. Not outstanding, but better than my Jeep. Only it requires premium fuel. That kinda dampens the economy factor. (And they’re not exactly cheap to buy, either.) If I could buy a new car, I’d consider one. It’s quite a bit bigger than the original, which is good and bad. It has loads more power. But being a classic-car guy, I’d consider an original one for the funkiness. ---
**Author:** ![smartguysmile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@smartguysmile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartguysmile)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/109 "2005-10-21T13:03:20Z")
“I’ll never be at fault” Truth is that everyone make mistake everyone think he great driver everyone think accident is fault of other person ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/110 "2005-10-21T14:32:42Z")
Eh, premium makes 'em run better. Most modern hyperefficient engines that suck gas, require it. And Bal, odds are, one day, you’ll have an accident and be at fault. Everyone does. Just try your best not to. As far as another car as capable as a Hummer? Gelandewagen. G-Class. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/111 "2005-10-21T14:43:49Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > But, kidding aside, I do think the Hummer was an overdesigned boondoggle. IANAAutomobile Designer, but contrast the simplicity of the old Jeep with the behemoth that is the Hummer. I seem to recall reading an article that the army were testing a smaller, lighter, cheaper vehicle to use as a runabout where a HMMWV was not needed. One of the comments was that the overall size, track and wheelbase were pretty much identical to the old Willys Jeep. I think part of the problem is that the HMMWV started out as a smaller replacement for a full-sized truck, and then morphed into a ‘replace everything smaller than a truck’ vehicle, which it’s just not suited for. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/112 "2005-10-21T15:43:00Z")
> [@amaranta](#): > > I’d say buying matching luxury cars makes you puke-worthy, not evil. What about matching Hummers? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/113 "2005-10-21T16:19:59Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Like these [Somalian “technicals”](http://psywarrior.com/SomaliaHerb.html), you mean? {Scroll about a third of the way down to pictures 4 and 5} And we all remember what a military success Somalia, in which the US forces were equipped with Humvees was, don’t we? Are you seriously contending than an engagement in which 19 Americans and _thousands_ of Somalis we killed demonstrates the effectiveness of the Somali’s equipment? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/114 "2005-10-21T16:23:28Z")
> [@micahjn](#): > > Are sweeping generalizations and false choices evil, or just stupid? So, how’s your hummer running? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/115 "2005-10-21T19:13:57Z")
Can I vote for evil? Seriously. They’ve caused a good amount of the total sum of human misery… ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/116 "2005-10-21T19:14:57Z")
> [@LadySybil](#): > > The new Mini Coopers are BMWs. Does that mean it’s stupid that I want one? No, just evil, which is not nearly as bad. ---
**Author:** ![LadySybil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c89c15/32.png) [@LadySybil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LadySybil)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/117 "2005-10-22T04:22:40Z")
Whee! I’m evil! I’ll settle for a Jaguar in a funky color though. Possibly an eevil dark red. Dark red like the BLOODY SOULS OF THE DAMNED! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/118 "2005-10-22T04:38:54Z")
> [@LadySybil](#): > > Whee! I’m evil! > > I’ll settle for a Jaguar in a funky color though. Possibly an eevil dark red. Dark red like the BLOODY SOULS OF THE DAMNED! 😉 We’re sorry, that color’s unavailable at this time. May we interest you in a muted dusty rose like the souls of the darned? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/119 "2005-10-22T04:47:30Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > Are you seriously contending than an engagement in which 19 Americans and _thousands_ of Somalis we killed demonstrates the effectiveness of the Somali’s equipment? Yes, given that the losses the Somalis inflicted with their limited equipment caused the US to cut and run: a Pyrrhic victory, perhaps, but they achieved their strategic objective - to drive the US out - whereas the US didn’t achieve theirs - to suppress the warlords enough that aid could be distributed: you could argue that the US _would_ have won given greater political will and a greater willingness to sustain casaulties {although they don’t seem to be helping the current administration much in Iraq}, but that wasn’t the point that I was trying to make in response to **Ethilrist** ’s assertion that such a huge, heavy and expensive vehicle as the Humvee was a _sine qua non_ for transporting men and equipment. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876/120 "2005-10-22T04:50:00Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > We’re sorry, that color’s unavailable at this time. May we interest you in a muted dusty rose like the souls of the darned? How about sort of a gray, like the soles of darned socks? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hummers-and-hummer-drivers-evil-or-stupid/326876.md?page=7)